Discovering Sesame Street at Beaches Turks and Caicos

All I could see was a mass of orange and red fur. Somewhere underneath was my four-year-old daughter, enthusiastically hugging Elmo and Zoe from Sesame Street, happily lost in the fluffy cuddle.

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Sailing around the island of Providenciales on our last full day at Beaches Resort Turks & Caicos was always going to be a highlight of the trip, watching the turquoise waves of the Caribbean ripple past and feeling as relaxed as only an all-inclusive luxury resort can make you. But for Minnie, the icing on the cake of our entire holiday was meeting the Sesame Street cast.

At home, I have a Cookie Monster toy that dates back to a long ago trip to the US – actually, Minnie swiftly appropriated him, especially once she discovered he’ll say ‘me love you’ and ‘yum yum yum cookieeee!’ if you squeeze his paw. But for my four-year-old, that’s probably all she knew of the show as CBeebies has figured a lot more prominently so far.

By the time we came home, she knew the words to the letter and number of the day songs off by heart, was so smitten with Elmo that we couldn’t leave without buying a small furry version to join Cookie in her bedroom, and Octonauts currently takes second place to the string of episodes she insisted I download.

But back to the Caribbean… The partnership between the two brands means that if you’re travelling with kids, you’ll find plenty of Sesame Street at Beaches Turks and Caicos – the characters wander around the resort during the day, with Bert stopping by the pool to wave and write her a note one afternoon.

There’s a regular parade in the early evening too if you don’t want to leave it to chance.

Although if you’ve got little ones who aren’t so keen on large furry characters (as with one four-year-old in our group), it’s worth making a note in case you’re wandering out for dinner at that point in the evening.

If you’ve got little ones who are very keen on large furry characters, it’s also worth keeping an eye on the daily activity sheets for extra events.

During our stay, Minnie dressed up in a tiny hat and apron to make cookies with Cookie – no spoilers to say that Cookie Monster fails to restrain his voracious appetite at one point in the proceedings…

Then there are other activities which do come with a cost: the character breakfast is $12 for example. This is no ordinary breakfast though. Ernie (of Bert and Ernie fame) fed her cornflakes, she met everyone from Grover to Oscar the Grouch (but *why* does he live in a bin mummy?), had the first of many furry cuddles with Elmo, was reluctantly persuaded that the Count wasn’t a scary vampire and danced to Gangnam Style alongside Cookie Monster.

Looking around the room, it wasn’t only the small people who looked like their childhood dreams had come true. Let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to dance with the Cookie Monster?!

By the time we got to our Sesame Sail Away Catamaran Cruise – $80 for the 90-minute trip, and one of the highlights of Sesame Street at Beaches – it was Elmo who saved the day. 

Minnie was in a contradictory mood that morning and despite me knowing she’d love the experience, had to be bribed on board with the offer of a frog-shaped rubber ring for the pool (which she promptly wore once and decided she didn’t like. Ah, family travel).

Despite not having the best weather that day, I had been really looking forward to getting out onto the water and seeing a bit more of the island so I wasn’t giving in to a four-year-old’s stubborn determination.

And while she was equally ready not to join in, she warmed right up when she spotted Elmo and Zoe.

Between dancing and snacking, all the kids on board got some of their attention and I was impressed that they made the effort to sit quietly with the shyer ones too. Aka, Minnie, who spent quite a bit of the trip tentatively putting her small hand into one of the large furry paws.

The staff (who, unlike the characters, can and do chat with the children) were also fantastic. My daughter all but commandeered one to help with her colouring and activity book, getting such a fan in the process that he left a gift for her at our room on our last day, pirate themed just like the main Pirate’s Island kids’ club for ages five to 17 (the area for under-fives has its own Sesame Street theme).

The facilities alone are one of my nine reasons to visit Beaches Turks & Caicos – along with the 10 pools, 30+ all-inclusive restaurants and bars, and 12 idyllic miles of Caribbean beach.

But even a bouncy mini cannonball and treasure chest couldn’t compare to meeting Elmo. We still have the note he wrote saying ‘Elmo ♥ you’. For Minnie, the feeling was definitely mutual.

PIN FOR LATER: SESAME STREET AT BEACHES

Disclosure: My stay and trips/activities were courtesy of Beaches Resorts and Island Routes. All opinions and strong-minded four-year-olds are my own. This post contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission

Images copyright MummyTravels

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